This is the way the Portuguese discovered them 500 years ago.
First, they are nothing more than a smudge, an indistinct hint of an
imperfection on the ruler-straight horizon. Hour by hour, they grow, gain
definition and finally morph into the mountains of Mahé and Silhouette,
rearing thousands of feet into the sky: deep green jungle, white wreaths of
mist and, as you approach the shallows, water so vividly blue, it’s almost
fluorescent. Welcome to the Seychelles.
Island-hopping is what cruising was made for, and the Seychelles were made for
island-hopping. They’ve got the two essentials: beauty and variety. You need
both. You could, in theory, island-hop their Indian Ocean rivals, the
Maldives, but don’t bother: one perfect sea-level coral atoll after another,
an endless succession of paradise-island repetition. Gasp at one, you’ve
gasped at them all. Pitch that against the sheer peaks and creole culture of
Mahé, the lush jungles of Praslin bursting into a riot of floral colour, the
sensuous, sculptured granite rocks of La Digue, the cinnamon groves of
roadless, wild Silhouette. No contest.
And don’t even think about transferring to terra firma. The old adage that the
Seychelles are five-star islands with three-star hotels no longer holds
water — even warm, translucent water — with a raft of high-end retreats such
as the barefoot-chic paragon North Island. But stay at one, two or even
three of the stylish cocoons and sea-view fatigue sets in, along with the
realisation that the best place to have a sundowner in the Seychelles is on
the water, faced by the high-rise, impossibly verdant mountains spiking out
of the ocean.
Convinced? Now you need a ship. The pick, in these waters, is Le Ponant.
A 32-cabin, three-masted clipper, it’s small, sleek and luxurious. It’s also
French-owned, which tells you all you need to know about the food and wine.
It sails to all the islands mentioned above, along with St Joseph,
Desroches, Aride and Curieuse, on a series of week-long voyages this winter.
Returning to Mahé under full sail, you could almost be one of those early
Portuguese pioneers. Just rather more comfortable.
One thing is different, though. As you approach, you’ll see and hear the
occasional helicopter taking off from the international airport. Buzzing
like distant hornets, they’re rushing just-landed holidaymakers to this or
that outlying resort island, in a mad hurry to get there... and do nothing.
Watching them from the foredeck of the Ponant, sipping a chilled sauvignon
after a week of leisurely variety, you can’t help thinking they’re missing
the point.
The details: Mundy Cruising (020 7734 4404,
www.mundycruising.co.uk) has a week on Le Ponant, departing on December 6,
from £2,275pp. Flights to the Seychelles are extra; from £600 through Opodo
(0871 277 0090, www.opodo.co.uk).
More island voyages
The West Indies: this should be perfect island-hop territory
— but the popularity of cruising in the Caribbean means that many ports are
overwhelmed by a daily deluge of cruise visitors, and there’s little of
genuine interest left to see. Avoid being one of the tourist armada by going
for a smaller ship that can anchor in shallower, less touristed harbours.
Windstar (020 7940 4488, www.windstarcruises.com) does just that with its
motor sail yachts Wind Spirit, which carries 148 passengers, and Wind
Surf, which takes 308 — a fraction of the size of the 2,000-passenger-
plus behemoths. Departing on January 28, Wind Surf’s voyage
from Barbados, taking in pretty Bequia, lively St Lucia and laid-back
Tobago, starts at £1,792pp, including flights from Gatwick.
The Hebrides: it’s easy to forget that some of the world’s
most beautiful islands are so close to home. The Queen hired the luxurious Hebridean
Princess for a private voyage in July: a week cost her £125,000, but
you can enjoy eight days of castles, wildlife and scenery for £3,430pp if
you don’t mind sharing with 48 other passengers.
Yes, it’s steep, but for that you get spacious cabins, marble bathrooms, a
staff ratio of near 1:1, and all the champagne you can drink. Departing on
May 9 from Oban, the cruise takes in Eriskay, the Uists, Harris, Skye, Rum
and Mull; 01756 704704, www.hebridean.co.uk.
The Lakshadweep Islands: For the first time, a cruise ship
has been granted permission to visit this remote archipelago off the coast
of India. The MS Ocean Odyssey starts cruising in October, taking
in Tinnakara, Suheli and Cheriyam, each virtually uninhabited and teeming
with marine life.
The ship sails from Goa on a 14-night cruise on October 7; prices start at
£940pp, full-board, through The Cruise Line (0800 008 6677,
www.cruiseline.co.uk). Flights are extra; from £600 through Travelocity
(0870 273 3273, www.travelocity.co.uk).
